I emailed Qantas privacy officer on Monday 20th October and got a response on Friday 24th October with an offer of 12 months Equifax
Dear VPS,
We understand your concern in relation to the news of information being released on the dark web. Qantas is one of a number of companies globally that has had data released by cyber criminals following the airline’s cyber incident where customer data was stolen via a third-party platform, which customers were notified about in early July.
With the help of specialist experts, we continue to monitor the situation and respond accordingly. Our focus continues to be on supporting customers, and our dedicated support line remains available 24/7 on 1800 971 541 or +61 2 8028 0534.
If your personal information was compromised, an email titled “Confirmation of your details impacted by the cyber incident” was sent to you in July, advising you of the types of your personal data that were contained in the impacted system. Our analysis confirms that no credit card details, personal financial information, or passport details were stored in the affected system, and so we can confirm none of this information was released. Your Qantas Frequent Flyer account remains secure – passwords, PINs, and login details were not accessed or compromised.
The most up to date information about the incident is available on the dedicated cyber incident page on the Qantas website. We will continue to update that page.
What we are doing
Since the incident, we have put additional security measures in place to further restrict access and strengthen system monitoring and detection. This includes additional security measures for Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts to further protect them from unauthorised access, including requiring additional identification for account changes.
Through the NSW Supreme Court, we have an ongoing injunction in place to prevent the stolen data being accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published by anyone, including third parties. We are continuing to engage with the Australian Federal Police, and are working with the Federal Government’s National Cyber Security Coordinator, the Australian Cyber Security Centre and independent specialised cyber security experts, in responding to the release of the data and the cyber incident more broadly. We have also put in place additional security measures, increased training across our teams and strengthened system monitoring and detection since the incident occurred.
To further support customers with any identity management concerns, we have partnered with IDCARE who can provide specialist advice. They can be contacted between 8am and 5pm AEST Monday to Friday on 1800 595 160 (please quote the reference number QANT25).
Remaining vigilant to any potential misuse of personal information
We recommend that customers continue to remain vigilant to any misuse of their personal information.
You can access information on scams and recommendations on what to do to remain vigilant to any misuse of your personal information via the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the National Anti-Scam Centre's Scamwatch webpage, IDCARE's Learning Centre and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Our Cyber teams continue to monitor 24/7 to prevent phishing attempts and block fraudulent “Qantas” websites and other communications. Please also refer to our dedicated cyber incident page on the Qantas website for resources and further information on how to spot, avoid and report scams.
Identity monitoring
We would like to offer you a 12-month subscription to Equifax Protect, a comprehensive credit and identity monitoring service. This is at no cost to you.
The service includes the following:
- Credit report monitoring and alerts, including alerts for key changes on your credit report and access to monthly Equifax credit reports
- Dark web monitoring and alerts, including ‘Identity Protection’ powered by Norton™ *
- Identify theft insurance (up to $15,000 annual cover) ^
More information on Equifax Protect is available at
Credit and identity protection | Equifax Australia.
To access this support, please follow the steps below:
Please note, this is a unique, one-time code and should not be shared with anyone else, as it has been issued in response to your specific circumstances. Your unique code will expire after six months. If you have any questions about Equifax Protect or redeeming your subscription, please see the frequently asked questions available on the Equifax website or contact Equifax on 13 83 32 (and select option ‘2’).
We recognise the concern this incident has caused and are deeply sorry.
Kind regards,
Qantas Group Privacy Office
* Dark web monitoring defaults to monitor your email address only and begins immediately. Sign in to your account to enter more information.
^ Terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations apply. The Identity Guard Insurance Policy Information Booklet is available on the Equifax Protect webpage.
Subscriptions are subject to the Credit and Identity Terms available at
www.equifax.com.au/credit-identity-terms. Eligibility criteria applies.
